Sepet

Sepet Slit Eye
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Yasmin Ahmad
Written by	Yasmin Ahmad
Produced by	Rosnah Kassim Elyna Shukri
Starring	Ng Choo Seong Sharifah Amani Linus Chung Harith Iskander Ida Nerina Adibah Noor Tan Mei Ling Thor Kar Hoong
Cinematography	Low Soon Keong
Edited by	Affandi Jamaludin
Release date	24 February 2005
Running time	104 minutes
Country	Malaysia
Languages	English Malay Cantonese Hokkien (Min Nan) Mandarin

Sepet (English: Slit Eyes) is a 2005 Malaysian Malay-language teen romantic comedy-drama film set in Ipoh, Malaysia. Directed by Yasmin Ahmad, it tells of a love that blooms between a Chinese boy and a Malay girl. Sepet is a Malay word which, in this context, refers to the 'slit eyes' of the Chinese.

Plot

A 19-year-old Ah Loong (who also called himself "Jason") is in charge of a stall selling unlicensed VCDs. Contrary to the stereotype of his social standing, Ah Loong is an incurable romantic with an unlikely hobby: he loves to read and write poetry. Quite content with being the Romeo of the slums, Ah Loong's life takes a sudden turn one day when a Malay schoolgirl, Orked, comes to his stall looking for films starring her favourite actor, Takeshi Kaneshiro. Love blossoms between Orked and Ah Loong, although social and racial pressures stand in their way.

In the end, Ah Loong is involved in a motor vehicle accident while Orked is going to England to pursue her studies. It is not clear if he lived or died until the sequel, Gubra which shows that Jason died. After the credits finish rolling however, Orked is shown sleeping beside Jason, both wearing a wedding ring. In Mukhsin, the third instalment, Jason and the adult Orked are shown to be living together. However, the adult Orked is not called by her name in this scene as the young Orked is.

Cast

• Choo Seong Ng as Jason aka Ah Loong
• Sharifah Amani as Orked
• Linus Chung as Keong
• Mei Ling Tan as Mah, Ah Loong's mother
• Ida Nerina as Mak, Orked's mother
• Harith Iskander as Abah, Orked's father
• Adibah Noor as Kak Yam
• Kar Hoong Thor as Pah, Ah Loong's father
• Zehan Marissa as Lin

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Recipients	Result
2005	18th Tokyo International Film Festival	Best Asian Film Award		Won
	Ninth Malaysian Video Awards	Best Film		Won
	27th Créteil International Women's Film Festival in France	Best Film		Won
	18th Malaysia Film Festival	Best Film		Won
		Best Original Screenplay	Yasmin Ahmad	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Ida Nerina	Won
			Adibah Noor	Nominated
		Most Promising Actor	Ng Choo Seong	Won
		Most Promising Actress	Sharifah Amani	Won
		Best Poster		Won
		Best Director	Yasmin Ahmad	Won
		Best Supporting Actor	Harith Iskander	Nominated
		Best Editor	Affandi Jamaludin	Nominated
	Global Chinese Golden Arts Awards	Best Film		Won
	Anugerah Era	Best Film		Won

Sequels

The sequel to Sepet, called Gubra, was filmed in Ipoh, Malaysia and released in 2006. The third movie in Yasmin Ahmad's Orked trilogy is a prequel to both Sepet and Gubra, titled Mukhsin.

Adaptations

Theatre company Liver & Lung debuted a musical adaptation of Sepet in September 2019. Shafeeq Shajahan directed the adaptation, with music and lyrics by Shajahan and Badrish. The adaptation was a critical success, winning Best Direction at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in 2020. Joshua Anthony Gui and Badrika Baluch played the roles of Jason and Orked in the adaptation, receiving positive reviews. Theatre critic website Critic Republic wrote that the musical had an "unexpected quality, where audiences all cried, laughed and smiled together."

Songs from the musical were released on Spotify in July 2021, to celebrate Yasmin Ahmad's 12 year death anniversary.

External links

• Official site Archived 1 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
• Sepet at IMDb